Surface moistener



Dec, 29,v 1931. E. HEINEKE SURFACE MoIsflENER Filed April 25, 1929 l fflllll Il rflllflln IIIIIII R O T. N E V m AT'ToRNEY i sie L UNITED STA ing. had tothe 'accomp ure 4.

Patented Dec. 2(9, 1931` k:eus/LII. HEINEKE, or PHoENrx, ienrzoivaV sUitrAon ivroprsrENE'R application mea April 25 The invention primarily has for its object to provide a novel, simple and economically constructed device capable of being employed to moisten postage stamps,V envelopes or other gummed surfaces, which is neat and 4attractive in appearance and Which may be carried about or used easily andvvithout'inconvenience or danger of messy leakagev of the mois# telling liquid While being lso carried or when inactual use.,

In its more detailed nature thev invention resides in the provision of a novel fountain pen-like structure comprising'a tWo-part casing, a Inoistening applicator vmounting body or stock,V a'relillable liquid sac, anda novel feeder block and rnc'iistenery applicator assem-V bly for feeding the moistenng liquid-'from the sac to the applicatorand from; the `applicator onto the gummed surface 'in a sanitary and ehicient manner. y

Other objects will in part be obvious' and in part be pointed out hereinafter;

To the attainmentiof the' aforesaidobjects and ends the inven'ti'on'ifurther resides in the novel details of construction',v combination and arrangementfof parts, all of which Will Vbe first fully describedfin the foll`owing de tailed description, then be particularly point- Y ed out in the appended claims,` reference beanying drawings in Which:- Y Figure 1 is a perspective view of the moistener in the inactive cover appliedcondition. Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the invention'in use.

Figure 3 is a vievvillustrating the parts of the moistener separated and arranged in axial alignment. Y 1 Figure .4 is a central longitudinal section.

Figures 5 and 6 are cross sections taken on the, lines 5-'5 and Fi re 7 is feedegr1 block. V- Y v In the practical vdevelopment of the invention I provide a hollow cylindrical main casing body 1 olf hard rubber or 4other suitable material and Which'is open atjone endfand closed at its other end. The openend' of the body 1 is externally threaded as at 2te pro- 6-6 respectively on Figa detail perspective view` of the 1 19,29. serialy Nb. `358,055.

lvide a mounting for the end cover or cap 3 Which, like the body 17 is substantially cy- `lindrical in rform and open at one end and -closedatthe other Yend, the said openend being internally threaded at 4 to receive the 55 threads 2 of the body 1 and provide for the securing of the cap 3V on the said body. The

closed end of the cap may be conveXas at 5 to provide a burnishing end to facilitate the sealing act bylpressing the parts to be sealed tightly together.

The body 1 is also provided with a sac squeezer mechanism 6 which may be of con- V"ventional form and need not be further described in detail. j Ai stockbody 7 is also provided and includes a reduced shank 8 to frictionally fit the open end ofthe casing body 1,"and a further reducedishanl 9 to receive the'rubber sacror liquid reservoir 10. The body 7 also lhas a feeder block and applicator `assembly receiving and fluid delivery bore 11.

v All of the parts described above will be `recognized as -more or less conventional fountain pen parts, and their construction" andV manner'of operation Will be'Well understood Without further comment.

l In order to adapt these parts to the peculiar uses to which the invention is adapted, I provide ai cylindrical feeder block 12 conn structed of hard rubber or other suitable material and having formed in its peripheral surface a plurality of longitudinal feeder grooves 13 which pass through the receiving or inner end of the block as at14 but flare outwardly at the' delivery or outer end of the block as at 15,7merging With the said end at its peripheryso that they terminate at, but do not extend through, the end but leave the g said end unbroken.

: rIhe moistener applicator is inthe nature of a thin cylindrical shell16 openatone end and split at 17 to provide a spring gripping r end and lclosed atits other end to provide a fsolid` head 'portionnlSadapted to extend be` '90 yondf the feederblock 12 Which the said shell isl adapted to gripV with retaining friction i The applicator shell head portion end is provided with a plurality of transverse slits 19 which intersect at the longitudinal axis of the applicator and extend beyond the head 18 Where each terminates in an enlargement 20 adapted to receive inoistening fluid from one of the feed block grooves 18.v It Will be observed that each applicator slit 19 registers with one of the feeder block grooves 18. The applicator shell is constructed of gold, gold filled or other suitable spring metal and the head slits 19 are very narrow 4and serve.

as capillary grooves which hold the moistening fluid against inadvertent leakage but which allow a suitably copious flow when the flat end of the applicator is brought into contact with .and moved over a surface to be moistened.

By manipulation of the sac squeeze equipment 6 with the applicator head immersed in moistening fluid in the manner customary in the use of the fountain pens, the sac 10 may be suitably filled With moistening fluid and the device made ready for use. In this condition the cap 3 may be applied and the device carried about Without fear of undesirable leakage of the fluid.

Then it is desired to moisten a surface it is only necessary to remove the cap 3 and apply the head end of the applicator to the surface to be moistened. By moving the head about the surface a thin iihn of fluid Will be released from the device and applied to the said surface in an eflicient and sanitary manner.

In the foregoing description, I have disclosed a simple form of mechanical moistener which can be conveniently carried about Without fear of messy leakage and which will serve to avoid the necessity of employing the unsanitary andV harmful mouth method of moistening and also the use of more or less impractical exposed mechanical moisteners of other types which are themselves unsanitary and seldom in condition for immediate use when desired.

From the foregoing'description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the novel details. of construction, the manner of use and the advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to Which it relates.

Wrhat I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a casing having a moistening fluid reservoir and a delivery bore at one end, an applicator comprising a shell-like body open at one end and adapted to tit the bore of the casing and to be frictionally held therein and having a closed end projecting from the bore and provided with a plurality of transverse intersecting capillary slits, a feeder block fitting Within the applicator and having longitudinal grooves therein to receive fluid from the reservoir and deliver it to the applicator slits.

2. A device of the character described comprising a casing having a moistening fluid reservoir and a delivery bore at one end, an applicator comprising a shell-like body open at one end and adapted to fit the bore of the casing and to be frictionally held therein and having a closed end projecting from the bore and provided With a plurality of transverse intersecting capillary slits, a feeder blocklitting Within the applicator and hav- 'ing' longitudinal grooves therein to receive fluid.` from the reservoir and deliver it to the applicator slits, said grooves extending through one end of the block. and terminating adjacent the other endv of the block in communication With the applicator slits.

3. Adevice of the character described comprising a casing having a moistening fluid reservoir and a delivery bore at one end, an applicator comprisinga-shell-like body open atl one end and adapted to fit the bore of the `casing and to be frictionally held therein and having a closed end projecting fromY the bore and provided With a plurality of transverse intersecting capillary slits, a feederV block fitting withinV the applicator and having longitudinal grooves therein to receive fluid Vfrom the reservoirA and deliver it to the applicator slits, said grooves extending through one end of the blockand terminating adjacent the other end of the block in communication with the applicator slits, said slits having enlargements for communicating With said block grooves.

4. A device` of the character described comprising al casing having a moistening fluid reservoir and a delivery bore at one end, an applicator comprising a shell-like body open at one end and adapted to fitthe bore of the casing and to be friction ally held therein and having a` closed end projecting from the bore and, provided with a plurality of transverse intersecting capillary slits, a feeder block fitting Within the applicator and having4 longitudinal grooves therein to receive fluid from the reservoir and deliver it to the applicator slits, said grooves extending through one end of the block and terminating adjacent the other end of the block in communication with the applicator slits, said applicator being split at its end opposite the slit equipped? end to; provide gripping portions for the purpose described.

5. In a= moistener, an applicator shell open at one end and closed at the other end, said closed end being provided' with transverse slits which intersect at the axis of the shell, and a feeder block shaped to fit the applicator shell and.V having longitudinal grooves therein communicating` with the shell slits for the purpose described.

6. In a moistener, an applicatorshell open at one end and closed at the other end, said closed end being provided With transverse slits which intersect at the axis of the shell, and a feeder block shaped to fit the applicator shell and having longitudinal grooves therein communicating with the shell slits, said shell slits terminating in enlargements for communicating with said block grooves.

7. In a moistener, an applicator shell open at one end and closed at the other end, said closed end being provided With'transverse slits which intersect at the axis of the shell, and a feeder block shaped to fit the applicator shell and having longitudinal grooves therein communicating With the shell slits, said shell slits terminating in enlargements for communicating With said block grooves,

said applicator shell also having its end op-V posite the slitted end split to provide grip- `ping portions for the purpose described.

8. In a moistener, an applicator shell open at one end and closed lat the other end, said closed end being slitted, and a feeder block `shaped to fit into the vapplicator shell and having longitudinal grooves therein communicating with the shells` slits, and vmeans for delivering fluid to the open endfof the applicator shell.

9. A device of the character described comprising a casing having anropen end, a moistening fluid reservoir located in saidcasing, a stock body held in the open end of said casing and having a delivery bore, said reservoir being mounted on said stock body, an applicator mounted in said bore and adapted to receive fluid from the reservoir and apply it on a surface to be moistened, said applicator comprising a shell-like body open at one end and closed at the other end, said closed end having transverse slits communicating with the interior of the shell-like body for the purposes described. 1 4

10. A device of the character Vdescribed comprising a casing having an open end, a moistening fluid reservoir located in said casing, a stock body held in the open end of said casing and having a delivery bore,'said reservoir being mounted on said stock body, an applicator mounted in said bore and adapted to receive fluid from the reservoir and apply it on a surfaceto be moistened, said applicator comprising a shell-like body open at one end and closed at the other end, said closed end having a plurality of'transverse capillary slits which intersect lat the axis of the applicator and communicatewith the interior of the shell-like body.

ll. A device of the character described comprising a casing having an open Vend, a moistening fluid reservoir located in said casing, a stock body heldin the open endvof said casingand having a delivery bore, said reservoir being mounted on said stock body, an applicator mounted in said bore and adapted to receivefluid from the reservoir said applicator comprising a shell-like bod open at one end and closed at the other en said closed end having a plurality of transverse capillary slits which intersect at the axis of the applicator and communicate with the interior ofthe shell-like body,`and a cap for closing over the applicator and having a convex end for the purpose described.

12. A device of the character described comprising a casing having an open end, a moistening Huid reservoir located in said casing, a stock body held in the open end of said casing and having a delivery bore, said reservoir being mounted on said stock body, an applicator comprising a shell-like body open at one end and adapted to fit said bore and being frictionally heldthereinand having a closed end projecting from the bore and provided With a plurality of transverse intersecting capillary slits communicating with the interior of the shell-like bod EMIL H INEKE.

and apply it on a surfaceV to be moistened,` 

